Tuscan White Bean Sausage Soup (Print)

Hearty Italian soup with sausage, white beans, kale, and potatoes in aromatic broth.

# Ingredients:

→ Meats

01 - 1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed, mild or spicy

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 large yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
04 - 2 celery stalks, diced
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 2 cups chopped kale, stems removed
07 - 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, diced
08 - 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes, drained, optional

→ Beans

09 - 2 cans (15 oz each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

→ Broth and Liquids

10 - 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth

→ Herbs and Seasonings

11 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
12 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
13 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
14 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
15 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Finishing

16 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
17 - Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving, optional

# Instructions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking it into small pieces with a spoon, and cook until browned and cooked through, approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer cooked sausage to a plate, reserving rendered fat in the pot.
02 - Add diced onion, carrots, and celery to the pot with reserved sausage fat. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Return browned sausage to the pot. Add potatoes, cannellini beans, diced tomatoes if using, chicken broth, oregano, basil, thyme, and red pepper flakes. Stir thoroughly to combine all ingredients.
04 - Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
05 - Stir kale into the pot and simmer uncovered for 5 to 7 minutes until kale wilts and becomes tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
06 - Ladle soup into serving bowls and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired. Serve immediately while hot.

# Pro Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour but tastes like you've been simmering it all day.
  • The sausage melts into the broth while the beans stay creamy and the kale turns tender, so every spoonful feels complete.
  • This is the kind of soup that actually tastes better the next day, which means you get to make it once and eat it twice.
02 -
  • If you skip rinsing your canned beans, the starch will turn your broth cloudy and thick in a way that feels wrong no matter how good everything else tastes.
  • Adding the kale at the very end matters because cooking it for too long turns it into something sad and gray instead of tender and vibrant.
03 -
  • Don't rush the browning of the sausage—that Maillard reaction is where the flavor lives, and it's worth the extra minute or two.
  • If your soup gets too thick as it sits, thin it with a splash of broth or water because dried beans and potatoes keep absorbing liquid long after you've finished cooking.
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